ABS publishes notes on subsea pipeline route determination

ABS, the leading provider of classification and technical services to the offshore industry, has published the ‘ABS Guidance Notes on Subsea Pipeline Route Determination’. This document, the first of its kind for the offshore industry, presents a method for route determination that combines risk assessment techniques with geographic information system (GIS) technology.

“ABS looks for opportunities to break new ground by developing safety guidance for the offshore sector,” says ABS Chairman, President and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. “ABS has once again worked as a trusted advisor with an industry partner to set a new standard.”

Methods for surveying, data collection and interpretation, data assessment, routing techniques and risk assessment are constantly evolving. This Guidance Note uses a unique combination of technologies to allow different pipeline routes to be evaluated faster and more thoroughly. The result of this work, accomplished in partnership with Fugro Marine GeoServices Inc., is a significant step forward for industry.

“Fugro was pleased to collaborate with ABS on this industry-leading standard,” said Jason Smith, Fugro Marine GeoServices Inc. Vice President and GeoConsulting Lead, Offshore Americas.

“The guidance document advocates a workflow approach to subsea pipeline route determination based on integrating geological, biological, and cultural data in a modern GIS framework, which allows us to find optimal solutions and minimise risks during the early stages of project planning.”

This sensible and straightforward approach to subsea pipeline route determination moves industry away from a labour-intensive geologically constrained process to a method that uses proven technology to find the most effective route.